Tortiglioni Pasta: Ridged Tubes for Ragù, Sausage and Baked Pasta
Tortiglioni are large ridged tubes with a slight twist, made to hold chunky sauces. Learn how to cook them, what sauces suit them and how they differ from rigatoni.
Bigoli Pasta: Veneto’s Thick Pasta, Bigoli in Salsa and Duck Ragù
Bigoli are thick, rough Venetian strands made for bold sauces. Learn the history, the classic anchovy-and-onion salsa, duck ragù, cooking times and substitutes.
Mezze Maniche: What It Is, How to Cook It and Best Sauces
Mezze maniche are short, wide, usually ridged tubes of Italian pasta. The name means “half sleeves”, and the stubby shape sits between ziti and rigatoni. The wide hollow centre holds small pieces of meat, vegetables and cheese, and the ridges grip thicker sauces, so mezze maniche suits ragù, creamy sauces, baked pasta and Roman classics […]
Macaroni Pasta: Types, Cooking Time and Best Dishes
Macaroni is a short, hollow pasta, and in much of the English-speaking world the word means elbow macaroni: small curved tubes made from durum wheat semolina and water. The shape is best known for macaroni and cheese, but it also works in soups, baked dishes, salads and quick tomato sauces. This guide covers where macaroni […]
Ziti Pasta: What It Is, How to Cook It and a Simple Baked Ziti
Ziti are smooth, straight-cut tubes of pasta, best known as the base of baked ziti. The walls are thick and the surface is usually smooth, so the tubes hold their shape in the oven and let thick tomato sauce, ricotta and melted mozzarella fill the centre. That makes ziti the classic choice for casseroles and […]
Trenette Pasta: Liguria’s Flat Ribbons and Trenette al Pesto
Trenette are narrow flat ribbons from Liguria, served classically with pesto, potatoes and green beans. Get the recipe, cooking times and substitutes.
Farfalle Pasta: Bow-Tie Pasta Guide, Cooking Time and Best Sauces
Farfalle is the bow-tie or butterfly-shaped pasta (the name means “butterflies” in Italian). It has a pinched centre and wide, slightly frilled wings, which gives each piece a firmer middle and a delicate edge. That contrast holds light cream, tomato and vegetable sauces, and it also keeps its shape in pasta salads and bakes. This […]
Pici Pasta: Tuscan Hand-Rolled Noodles, Dough and Sauces
Pici (sometimes written pinci) are thick, hand-rolled noodles from southern Tuscany, especially the province of Siena. They look like very thick spaghetti, but each strand is rolled by hand, so the thickness is a little uneven. That irregular, slightly rough surface holds sauce well, which is why pici suit bold, rustic dishes. This guide covers […]
Rigatoni Pasta: Shape, Sauces, Cooking Time and Best Uses
Rigatoni are wide, ridged tubes of pasta with straight-cut ends. They are one of the most useful shapes in the kitchen: the ridges grip sauce, the hollow centre holds chunks of meat and vegetables, and the thick walls stay firm in the oven. This guide covers where rigatoni comes from, how it differs from penne […]
Penne Pasta: Origins, Types, Cooking Time and Best Sauces
Penne is one of the most recognisable pasta shapes in the world: short tubes with diagonally cut ends. The name comes from penna, Italian for “quill” or “pen”, because the angled cut resembles the tip of a writing pen. The hollow tube and, in ridged versions, the grooves on the outside let sauce get inside […]
